Now when you go on vacation, the last thing you expect is to come home in a casket. You pack everything you need for your trip, and you check off the items on your list as you place them in your suitcase. Toothpaste – check. Sandals – check. Sunscreen – check. Funeral pre-arrangements and legal paperwork naming your traveling companion as your personal representative in the event you are unable to speak for yourself? Probably not on your list.

If trends tell the story, it may be time to rethink that strategy. While traveling isn’t a death risk in and of itself, the fact is that none of us know when we’ll die. And dying unprepared while on vacation is not only tragic; it’s also a terrible imposition on your companion, who will have to complete tons of paperwork, cover expenses and make tough decisions at a time when they are shocked and grieving.

To ensure you’re remembered fondly long after you’re gone, consider taking steps now to save your loved ones from a logistical nightmare in the event of your untimely death away from home:

• Check with your insurance agent. If your current insurance won’t cover transportation costs to bring your body home, ask about available options.
• If you’re traveling alone, make sure someone back home knows your itinerary, and make sure that person (or your traveling companion, if you have one), has all the paperwork he or she will need to claim your body.
• Visit your local funeral director to complete a pre-need agreement before you embark on your journey. Whether you die on vacation or live for years, your loved ones will be grateful that a call to the funeral director is all it takes carry out your final wishes.